Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1887-02-11

their sins and their wants, and have learned
how to fly low.
Again: These persons who come to-day
are like doves on their way to the dove cote,
because they fly for shelter. The albatross
makes throne of the tempest: the sea-
gulls find their grandest frolic in the storm
their merriest hour seems to be that in
which the surf of the sea piles most high.
Not SO with doves. At the first blow of the
northeastern they fly to the coop. Eagle
contends with eagle in mid air and vulture
fights yulture on the bosom of the carcass.
but doves at the first dash of the bird of
prey speed for shelter from fiery eye and
| from beak and loathsome talon. So to-day
| these souls come here for shelter. Every
one has besetting sin; that sin is always
| after you. The robber watches you when
you come out of the bank, sees in what
pocket you put the money, follows you
down the street, notices where you go to
dine, and where you sleep, and what kind
of a lock you have on your door; so there
is some sin ever on mans track. 1tgoes
with him to the store, it sits on the money
safe, it looks over his shoulder while he
makes out the bill of lading, it goes out
with him to dine, it walks home with him
at night. AS to some dog that you do not
want to follow you, but persists, you say
| to it: "Back home with you'll" You stone it
away and start on. After while, casually
turning your eye, you find it close after
you with sneaking look. Wherever you
go, sin goes; where you stay, sin stays.
You have watched the hawk above the
barnyard; it sails around and around over
the brood of chickens-around and around,
again, until at last it drops and seizes its
prey. There is hawk ready to pounce
upon every dove, and that is the reason that
these doves come to-day to the windows
they want shelter in the grace of God
and in Christian associations. They say:
"If there is any power in your prayers, let
me have them; if there be any virtue in
good counsels, give them to me; if there
be anything elevating in Christian associa-
tions, let me feel their influence" where
thou dwellest 1 will dwell. Thy people
shall be my people, and thy God my God. {"
Open your doors, oh, church of God! and
let them come in "as doves to their WIN
dows."
Christ is the only shelter of the soul in
trouble. What can you do without Him
when sorrow comes? Perhaps at first you
take valerian to quiet your nerves, or alco-
hol to revive your spirits; but have you
found anything in the medicines or physi-
cal stimulants sufficient? Perhaps in the
excitement of the money market or in the
merrymaking of the club you have sought
relief. This world has no balsam for the
| wounded soul, no shelter for bruised
spirit. The dove in the time of the deluge
flew north and it was all water, in which
were tossed the carcasses of the dead
world, and the first solid thing the doves
feet touched was the window of the ark.
So the soul in trouble goes out in one di-
rection and finds nothing substantial to
rest upon, and in another direction and
every whittier, but there is no rest for the
dove save the ark.
Substantial comfort will not grow
In natures barren soil;
All we can boast, till Christ we know,
Is vanity and toll.
But where the Lord has planted grace,
And made His glores known,
There fruits OF heavenly joys are found.
And there alone.
You lost parent; someone said that it
was in the regular course of nature that
your father should expire. Did that COM
fort you? You lost child; somebody said
if that child had lived it might have turned
out badly. Did that comfort you? You
lost your property; they told you that riches
fore. You were sick; they explained to
you that the difficulty was in the secretions
or in the sciatic nerve. Did that soothe
you? Oh! the despicable quackery of
earthly comfort! But when Christ comes
to the soul and says: Il took your estate be-
cause wanted to give you more valuable
treasures; 1 made you sick in body that
your soul might be brought up to eternal
health; I took your loved ones away be-
cause have a better and brighter place fol
them in my own presence;;" then the
wound heals, then the tears dry off the
face, then God has become the everlasting
portion Of the soul. Oh, The air is full Of
black wings and ravens beaks. They join
their wings of darkness until they shut out
the light of the sun. They have fattened
on the carcasses of men. Their changer is
horrible to the ear. Trouble and disease
and death coming down on the wind. No
wonder those souls have come for shelter
"as doves to their windows" What does
the pigeon in the coop care for the hawk in
the sky?
Safe in Christ, safe forever. "The noun
tains may depart. and the hills be remov-
ed, but Thy loving kindness shall never
fail"
Again: These souls, like doves, fly home.
Most Of the winged denizens have no
home; now they are at the north and now
at the south, as the climate indicates.
Ibis year nest in one tree, next year q
nest in another tree. The golden oriole re-
mains but three months of the year in Ger
many, and is then gone. The linnet of
Norway crosses the ocean to find rest from
the winters blast The heron, the gold
finch, and the grossbeak are migratory.
The cranes call each other together several
days before going, choose their leader, ar
range themselves in two lines, forming an
angle, and are gone. But the pigeons al
luded to in the text, summer and winter
and always, have home in the dove-cote.
And SO Christ is the home of those who
come to Him. He is warm home; thew
rest under the feathers of the Almighty. -
Christ tells us that chickens find not a
warmer place under the wing of a hen than
we in Him. he is safe home; our for
tunes may go down ten degrees below zero,
the SHOWS of trouble may fall, the winds of
persecution may howl, the iackals of death
may stalk forth-all is well, for great
peace have they who trust in God" From
this home we shall never be driven
out The sheriff may sefl us out of our
earthly house, or the fires may burn it
down, or the winds carry it away, but that
home shall always be ours.
Men talk as though starting for God
We're putting out Oh a trackless moor. or
wandering through the sands of a great Sa-
hara No. no; it is coming to the warmest
and best of homes, "as doves to the win
dows."
H.